Stuck for a Christmas present? What about pre-driver training sessions for youngsters

Pre-driver training experiences for pupils between the ages of 15 and 17 are being offered as part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s ongoing programme of education for young people in a bid to cut road traffic casualties in the county.

The council has been holding the sessions for several years now during school holidays and they are proving to be sell-out events.

Now, two one-day sessions are being held next February half-term – on Monday 16th and Wednesday 18th, at the Elizabethan Academy in Retford.

Both sessions run from 9am until 4pm, are open to all 15-17 year-olds and cost £45. Pupils do not need a provisional driving licence as the training takes place away from the public highway

Bookings can be made by phoning 0300 500 8080. Spaces are limited so bookings will be taken on a first come, first served basis

“This course gives young people their first experience behind the wheel of a car in a safe, controlled, environment with fully qualified driving instructors,” said Coun Kevin Greaves, chairman of the transport and highways committee.

“Research shows that young people form and crystallise their driving attitudes well before they actually take to the road themselves, so it’s important that they receive the right message from the right people.”

According to research from the Department for Transport, youngsters form their driving attitudes long before they actually get behind the wheel of a car.

By the age of 17, when they can legally drive, they have very often picked up bad habits from watching their parents or other people with whom they regularly travel as passengers.

As well as two hours in-car training, the pre-driver training days also include advice on how to choose a good driving instructor and workshops on the responsibilities that come with being a driver, including the effects – and repercussions – of drink or drugs on a person’s driving abilities.

There will also be practical demonstrations of safe stopping distances and cornering techniques.